Dibectioit-indicatoii



J. H. TREGONING.

DIRECHON INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2h 19!]- 1,309,265. Patented July 8, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

56 12' M 1 2 Z2 Z6 rm: COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON D. c,

J. H. TREGONING.

DIRECTION INDICATOR.

APPLlCATlON FILED SEPT.2I. 1911.

Patented July 8, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. TREGONING, OFGREELEY, COLORADO.

DIRECTION-INDICATOR.

Application filed September 21, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osnrrr H. TREGONING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greeley, in the county of lVeld and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Direction-Indicators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled ,in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved direction indicator espe cially designed for use in connection with motor vehicles which may .be conveniently controlled by the driver and which includes signaling elements pivota'lly supported by the vehicle body which, when not in use, are practically invisible.

Another object is the provisionof a direction indicator including a novel type of pivoted indicating element provided with illuminating means for use in the darkness which is automatically set in operation when the signaling element is thrown to operative position.

A still further object is theprovision of an indicating element located at the rear of the vehicle for indicating to traffic and pedes trians in rear ofthe vehicle, the drivers intention to turn either to the right .or left, which operates in synchronism with the front indicating elements.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of-parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it beingunderstood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may beresorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantageslof the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a motor vehicle illustrating the invention applied.

Fig. 2 represents a rear elevation of the vehicle.

Fig. 3 represents a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view therethrough.

Fig. 4 represents a fragmentary vertical sectional View, taken at right angles to Fig. '3.

Specification of'Letters Eatent.

Patented July 8, 1919.

Serial No. 192,505.

Fig. 5 represents an enlarged perspective view of a fragment of the operating means for the indicator, and

Fig. 6 represents a detail sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 3 looking upwardly.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail sectional view through the upper end portion of one of the signaling arms.

Fig. 8 is a detail transverse section through one of the signaling arms adjacent the upper end thereof.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts, throughout the several views, the numeral 5 indicates generally a well known type of motor vehicle including the usual wheels 6 supporting the body 7 carrying the frame 8.

In adapting the indicator to the vehicle, the sides of the body 7 at points preferably located directly in front of the driver are provided with preferably-elongated recesses 9 which accommodate the indicating elements or severalindlcating arms 10 which, when moved to inoperative posltion withm the recesses 9, as illustrated in Fig. 4:, lie flush with the surface of the vehicle body and are substantially invisible. The indicating elements or arms are pivotally supported at their upper terminals on hinge rods 11 and the pivoted terminals thereof are rounded as indicated at 12 for reception in the correspondingly shaped upper terminals 13 of the recesses 9.

The portions of the side walls of the indicating elements which are exposed to View when moved to inoperative position are constructedof metal orother rigid and opaque material and the outer surfaces thereof are preferably painted to resemble the color and appearance of the body of the vehicle. The opposite or inner walls of the indicating ele- -ments are constructed of transparent material lL designed to be illuminated by an electric lamp 15 rendering the indicator visible in the dark.

An operating shaft 16 for the indicating element is ,journaled at one end in the dashboard 17 of the vehicle and at its opposite mounted in the upper arm 21 and are provided at their outer terminals with apertured heads 24 slidably receiving the push rods 25 having connection at their outer terminals with the indicating elements 10. The adjacent terminals of the rods 25 are threaded and provided with adjustable nuts 26 forming stops or abutments for engaging the threaded stems whereby the indicating elements on the opposite sides of the vehicle are alternately elevated during alternate rotations of the operating shaft 16 in opposite directions.

The lower arm 22 of the shaft 16 is connected by a link 28 with one arm of a pivoted bell crank 29, the pivotal axis of which is disposed horizontally. The lower arm of the bell crank is connected by a link or connecting rod 30 with one arm of a second bell crank 31, the pivotal axis 32 of which is arranged vertically whereby the arms of the bell crank are swung in a horizontal plane as the shaft 16 is rotated or oscillated.

The outer arm of the bell crank 31 is provided with a spherical head 33 confined between parallel ribs 34; formed on the front surface of an indicating arrow 35. The upper terminal of the arrow 35 is pivotally secured at 36 to a supporting bracket 37 carried by the vehicle body 7 and in its normal position, during forward movement of the vehicle, the arrow is disposed in a vertical position as is suggested in full lines in Fig. 2, however, as the front indicating elements 10 are actuated to indicate the course of the vehicle, the rear indicating arrow 35 is moved simultaneously therewith through the arm 22, rod 28, crank 29, rod 30 and bell crank 31.

One electrode of the incandescent lamp 15 is electrically connected with one pole of a battery or other source of electro-motive force carried by the vehicle by being grounded to the vehicle frame, and the other electrode 38 of the lamp is adapted, when the indicating element is swung to horizontal position, to engage a relatively stationary contact member 39 which is electrically connected with the other pole of the source of electro-motive force, thereby completing the circuit to the lamp and lighting the lat ter to effectively illuminate the indicating elements at night. I

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a vehicle including a body, indicating elements pivotally secured to the opposed sides of the body, an actuating shaft, an arm carried by said shaft, rods pivotally secured to the indicating elements, and independently adjustable connections between each of said rods and said shaft for alternately elevating the indicating elements during oscillation of the shaft.

2. In signaling means, in combination with a vehicle body, signaling arms mounted at the opposite sides of said body for movement into and out of operative position, a signaling member mounted at the rear of the body, a rockable operating shaft, a crank arm carried thereby, connections between said crank arm and the front signaling arms for raising and lowering either of said arms, optionally, by rocking the shaft, and connections between said shaft and the rear signaling member for operating. said member simultaneously and similarly to the operation of either of said front signaling arms.

3. In signaling means, the combination with a vehicle body, of front signaling arms pivotallymounted on said body adjacent the front and at opposite sides thereof so as to be raised and lowered into operative and inoperative position, a rockable operating shaft, a crank arm carried by said shaft, push rods connected to said crank arm and to the signaling arm for raising and lower ing either of said arms, optionally, inclependently of the other arm by rocking the shaft, a signaling member rockably mounted at the rear of the vehicle body, and connections between said member and the operating shaft for actuating the rear signaling member simultaneously with and similarly to operation of either of said front signaling .ing arms mounted for swinging movement about horizontal axes, an operating shaft rockably mounted between said arms, a

crank arm secured on said shaft, rods secured to said signaling arms for raising and lowering the same, and connections between said rods and the crank arm for causing independent raising or lowering either of said signaling arms by rocking the shaft in proper direction.

5. In signaling means, two signaling arms pivotally mounted for movement about horizontal axes, an operating shaft rockably mounted between said arms, a crank arm secured on said shaft, rods secured at their outer ends to said signaling arms for raising and lowering the same, and connections between the inner ends of said rods and the crank arm for raising or lowering either one of said signaling arms, optionally, by rocking the shaft in proper direction, said connections being adjustable so as to vary the effective length ofeither of said rods independently of the other rod so as .to secure accuracy of operation'of the signaling arms.

6. In signaling means, a pair of signaling arms rockably mounted for movement about horizontal axes, an operating shaft rockably mounted between said arms, rods having their outer ends connected to the arms for raising and lowering the same, and plvotal and slidable connections between said crank arm and the inner end portions of the rods for raising either of the signaling arms, optionally, by rocking the shaft in proper direction independently of the other si naling arm.

In signaling means, tWo signaling arms rockably mounted for movement about hori zontal axes, an operating shaft rockably mounted between said arms, a crank arm secured on said said shaft, push rods connected at their outer ends to said signalin arms for raising the same, studs pivotal y secured in said crank arm for free rocking movement about horizontal axes,

the inner end portions of said rods be ing slidable through said studs, and members carried by the rods and engaging said studs for positively limiting inward movement of the rods through the same whereby either of said signaling arms may be raised through the medium of the push rods by rocking said shaft in proper direction.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH H. TREGONING. Witnesses:

THOMAS HoUGHToN, J. J. Horsonumn.

00910! of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). 0. 

